That was a Breeze!: Working with Idioms

Unit 6: Idioms Unit
Lesson 5 of 5

Objective: SWBAT demonstrate an understanding of word relationships and nuance in word meanings by illustrating their favorite idiom in literal and non-literal translations as well as using it appropriately in a sentence.

Our class meets on the rug today for language again and I tell them that I’m so excited for today’s language time together! Today, students will get to create their very own Idiom Poster! The great thing about this lesson is that I'm going to get to watch students in action-working independently on their ideas of what an idiom represents and what it literally means!

I pull out the page we’ll use today for our Idiom Poster (see the Resources section here). I show the students all the componetns, and then we complete one (quickly) together as a class for the idiom I used yesterday: “Keep your shirt on!” Students help me make a decision about what that would literally mean (or what Amelia Bedelia would think this would mean) and then also non-literally (or what we know it actually means) and gives me some ideas of what I could draw to show both. Then the kids help me create a sentence at the bottom where we use the idiom in a sentence correctly.

I pull out the assignments I’ve made the night before of which idiom will go to which student. I have also created a “List of Idioms & Meanings” chart that I’ve copied and circled for the students so they know which idiom they’re assigned to today. I call each student and as I do, they take their idiom assignment and pick up a blank idioms poster page! Then they head back to their seats and get started!

As students are working, I circulate to check their work and answer any questions students may have. I highlight some exceptional examples as I walk around to show multiple examples of interpreting idioms!

Resources (2)

Resources

When students are all finished, we meet back on the rug again and take a few minutes to let anyone who’d like to share their poster the time to do so. The kids are so proud of their work and they’ve really been very creative in visually showing literal and non-literal interpretations of their idioms! I congratulate the students on their hard work, collect their posters, and smile! I’m so proud of all of their hard work with this tricky concept!